Worthing man found guilty of wife's attempted murder

A GAMBLING addict has been found guilty of deliberately ploughing into his wife in a stolen van in a bid to kill her and cash in her life insurance policy.

Martin Hewlett, from Worthing, wanted to use the cash to pay off the giant debts of more than 113,000 he had racked-up through his secret addiction.

The 45-year-old faced a two-week trial at Hove Crown Court after denying the attempted murder of his estranged wife Anne Dreisler '“ but earlier today (Friday, March 20) juries found him guilty.

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Judge David Rennie sentenced Hewlett to life imprisonment for what he described as a "chilling, premeditated, calculated" murder bid.

He said Hewlett would serve a minimum of 17 years in jail.

Miss Dreisler was a theatre nurse at Worthing Hospital and suffered horrific injuries in the hit and run in February last year.

She will be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

During the trial she tearfully gave evidence against her estranged husband. She said she had grown to "detest" him and described their marriage as "non-existent".

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She also said she remembered a "very happy, monkey face" at the wheel of the van that knocked her off her bicycle.

She said she did not know if the face was that of her husband's, but told the court she believed she was a likeable person and did not have any enemies.

Hewlett worked for the Department for Work and Pensions and was a member of Worthing Harriers running club.

Prosecutor, Richard Barton, said Hewlett planned the attack for months and called it "the desperate act of a gambler". He said the defendant used the van as a weapon, in the hope he would kill his wife which "would have solved all his problems".

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In a statement released after the trial, Miss Dreisler said: "I am relieved that justice has finally been done and that Martin will face a long time behind bars. For the first time since this happened I feel safe again.

"My life has been torn apart by the actions of my estranged husband, but due to the verdict I can now go home and myself and my children can begin rebuilding our lives.

"I would like to thank the hard working and dedicated officers of Sussex Police and especially my family liaison officers Lindsey Valder-Davies and David Dowell, whose support from day one has been tremendous.

"Finally, I would not have got through this ordeal without the help and support of my family and friends and I would like to thank the dedicated staff at the Wessex Neurological Unit at Southampton General Hospital."

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Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Graham Pratt, from Sussex Police's Major Crime Branch, said: "This was a truly horrific crime and Anne is lucky to be alive.

"Martin Hewlett had run up a huge amount of debt through gambling and had finally confessed this to his wife. Unbeknown to her he had financed his gambling by re-mortgaging the house using her forged signature and had also obtained an insurance policy in the same manner.

"With a court case looming, in which he stood to lose everything, he planned her death and tried to make it appear as a hit and run incident.

"Anne's life will never be the same again as a result of that night, but thankfully she has the support of her family and is moving forward.

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"She has demonstrated immense courage from day one of the investigation through to today's verdict."

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